Oct 19, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) attempts to avoid the tackle of New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara (20) in the third quarter at AT&T Stadium. Dallas beat New York 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
In terms of health or winning, 2014 hasn’t been the New York Football Giants year.
Recently, the team claimed CB Chykie Brown off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens, but only due to the roster spot created when Prince Amukamara went down with a biceps injury against the Colts on MNF.
The Prince of New York is now on injured reserve with a torn bicep and will join a growing list of NYG players that are out for the season.
When I first arrived at GMEN HQ in May, we started a series called Another Giant Down, because it seemed like so many players were getting suspended or injured during the offseason. It was names like Jon Beason, Trindon Holliday and even first round pick, Odell Beckham Jr. and his storied hamstring saga.
For us, the reality of the NFL really set in when long time OG Chris Snee retired after training camp opened. These careers don’t last forever. Nothing made that point hammer home like a nail into the wall as much as David Wilson announcing his retirement from football due to a neck injury when it seemed he had limitless NFL potential as a running back.
Throughout this disappointing season, several NYG players have been lost for the year. There are enough names on the IR to field an iron-man football team with the added luxury of the 12th man for rotational purposes. Here’s the list:
Reserve/Injured
| # | NAME | POS. | HT. | WT. | AGE | EXP. | COLLEGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Amukamara, Prince | CB | 6-0 | 207 | 25 | 4 | Nebraska |
| 52 | Beason, Jon | LB | 6-0 | 232 | 29 | 8 | Miami (FL) |
| 80 | Cruz, Victor | WR | 6-0 | 204 | 27 | 5 | Massachusetts |
| 79 | Gaines, Rogers | OT | 6-6 | 334 | 25 | 1 | Tennessee State |
| 18 | Harris, Marcus | WR | 6-1 | 187 | 25 | 1 | Murray State |
| 48 | Howard, Travis | CB | 6-1 | 200 | 24 | 1 | Ohio State |
| 12 | Jernigan, Jerrel | WR | 5-8 | 189 | 25 | 4 | Troy |
| 70 | Kropog, Troy | T | 6-6 | 295 | 28 | 4 | Tulane |
| 38 | McBride, Trumaine | CB | 5-9 | 185 | 29 | 7 | Mississippi |
| 30 | Taylor, Cooper | S | 6-4 | 228 | 24 | 2 | Richmond |
| 24 | Thurmond III, Walter | CB | 5-11 | 190 | 27 | 5 | Oregon |
| 22 | Wilson, David | RB | 5-9 | 205 | 23 | 3 | Virginia Tech |
12 Giants?
That’s a lot of injuries without even mentioning free agent addition Geoff Schwartz and his inability to see the football field as a Giant. It’s just been on of those years where the team can’t stay healthy.
A lot of fans will blame the coaching staff, some will SCREAM, ‘replace the training staff’. However, the NFL has some of the best training equipment money can buy. Not just on one team, or only the Super Bowl winning team. No, every team in the NFL has state-of-the-art, all-world exercise equipment, doctors, nutritionists, life-coaches… you name it.
The Giants have been in the league since 1925, their organization knows how to take care of football players and injuries. That’s not the issue.
With the G-Men, the issue is a fact of life. When things begin to go wrong with a team, everything follows the pattern. Sometimes momentum will shift like what almost happened with Giants when they won three games in a row after their rough 0-2 start.
The Viking Age
Through the use of all that win, they almost dodged the “snowball effect” of their losing streak to start the season, but losing and bad luck streaks don’t like to go quietly into the night. They linger and wait for any opportunity to take over your hopes and dreams. Those two things are always at the bottom of an NFL pile pulling on tendons and ligaments, they’re standing on bones bent the wrong way, they’re leaning their feet into players helmets that are about to collide.
Everywhere you look in the NFL, negative circumstance is there — waiting to take over. Looking for the chance to destroy your team with injury, turnovers, dropped passes, penalties and finally, loss.
This year, the New York Football Giants were victims of “you name it”.
Which means what is implies, anything you can name, the Giants were victim to. They were victim to touchdowns, field goals, injuries, bad luck, poor timing, terrible decisions, lousy coaching and the price of tea in China.
Nevertheless, in the NFL, there are no excuses. This season, the Giants weren’t good enough and some of their superstars are on the shelf just like the 2014 Giants fanbase and their Super Bowl aspirations. However, the football season continues. Even without those 12 Giants, the team still has to suit up for the final games and they have little stats like the fact the Eagles were 3-5 last year and still made the playoffs… but that’s backhanded hope, like having your car stolen the same day you find a $100 bill on the ground.
So far, 8 out of 16 games have been played this season and technically the Giants are still in it. At a Giants site like GMEN HQ, perhaps we’re supposed to lift up your spirits and make you believe it can be done. However, what’s the point?
Giants fans are a smart bunch, they know the drill. Ask any group of them about these injuries before the year and they’d tell you the year was over. Victor Cruz, Jon Beason and Prince Amukamara are huge losses that are almost impossible to overcome.
So while the Giants are still alive, they may just simply lack the talent left in their 53 players that are healthy on the roster to compete and win on NFL Sunday’s. No matter the New York Giants chances and health, the football season rolls on. Only this time, without the Prince of New York.